Her husband’s Swiss heritage allows the Minnesota Republican to have dual citizenship, complete with the right to vote and run for office in Switzerland.

After reports surfaced about her dual citizenship, Mrs. Bachmann released a statement calling the news “a non-story.”

Her husband, Marcus Bachmann, is the son of Swiss immigrants. Mrs. Bachmann noted that she had been eligible for dual citizenship since they married in 1978. She said her family recently updated their documents, activating their dual citizenship.

Ms. Bachmann emphasized in her statement that she always has pledged allegiance to the U.S. “We live in the greatest nation humankind has ever known and I am proud to be an American,” she said.

While Mrs. Bachmann is busy running for re-election to the U.S. House, she joked about the prospect of a political career in Switzerland, telling Swiss TV that “there’s a lot of competition.”

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